Hallelujah! Studies show it’s okay to have sweet, delicious chocolate with our breakfast in the morning. They report chocolate and cocoa flavanols are good for your brain, and it helps you keep pounds off if you’re striving for weight loss. It seems too good to be true, right?

Researchers at Tel Aviv University split 193 clinically obese, non-diabetic adults into two groups who consumed either a low-carb diet that included a 300-calorie breakfast or a balanced 600-calorie breakfast that included a chocolate cake dessert.

Halfway through the 32-week study both groups had lost an average of 33 lbs per person. But in the second half of the study the low-carb group regained an average of 22 lbs per person – while the chocolate-goers lost another 15 lbs each.

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Tel Aviv University’s Daniela Jakubowicz says curbing cravings (such as chocolate) is better than deprivation for dieting success. Those that avoid sweets altogether can create a psychological addiction to these same foods in the long-term.

Keep in mind that research shows eating refined flour and sugar on a regular basis is a no-no. What the study above really tells us is that it is better to incorporate our favorite food into our diet, rather than depriving ourselves and then over-indulging later.

What does your daily breakfast look like? Tell us in the comments below!